Obama plans draw praise, rebuke

The traditional partisan reactions to President Barack Obama’s proposals resurfaced on Friday after he announced his push to increase transparency, oversight and privacy protections for government surveillance programs.

In the wake of continued revelations over the programs in recent months, both liberals and conservatives had criticized the administration’s interception of U.S. citizens’ phone and email records, creating odd couples of Democrats and Republicans working together to alter the National Security Agency foreign data-mining operations. But on Friday afternoon, following Obama’s press conference, the reactions were more predictable: Republicans blasted the president while Democrats issued statements of support.

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The worry for GOP defenders of the NSA programs is that Obama is not doing enough to explain the importance of the programs and how they are used. They also are concerned that the surveillance programs could be watered down by some of the president’s proposals.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called Obama’s moves “a monumental failure in presidential wartime leadership and responsibility.” King said that the United States is still at war with “Islamist terror groups” and that the threat of an attack is as high as it’s ever been.

“We need a president who defends our intelligence programs, explains them appropriately to the American people, and uses every legal capability in his arsenal to defeat al Qaeda,” King said.

Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Speaker John Boehner, said the reason for Americans’ concerns could mostly be attributed to the lack of explanation from the administration.

“Transparency is important, but we expect the White House to insist that no reform will compromise the operational integrity of the program. That must be the president’s red line, and he must enforce it,” Buck said. “Our priority should continue to be saving American lives, not saving face.”

Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced during the press conference that her committee would soon hold a series of hearings on the data-mining programs. Obama said in his remarks that he looks forward to reforming NSA transparency and accountability alongside Congress and Feinstein responded that improving oversight and privacy protection will be her committee’s main job this fall.

“If changes are necessary, whenever feasible, we will make them. To the extent possible, I hope these hearings will better delineate the purpose and scope of these programs and increase the public’s confidence in their effectiveness,” Feinstein said.

Democratic critics of the NSA’s reach into Americans’ privacy applauded the president for taking a step back to reexamine the NSA’s operations after months of public debate. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) has long been hinting that Americans would be surprised to know the scope of programs authorized by the Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and its amendments.

“This is an important first step — but I will keep fighting to ensure it’s not the Administration’s last in this direction. The administration must do a better job balancing our national security with our constitutional privacy rights,” Udall said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) recently authored legislation that would create an advocate in FISA to press the courts on privacy. After hearing that Obama supported his idea, Blumenthal praised the president.

“He’s receptive to reforms that make the FISA court more open and accountable – more like other federal courts and less like a secret court, making secret law through secret opinions,” Blumenthal said.